1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that can perform printing using a roll of continuously connected sheets.
2. Description of the Related Art
A roll of continuously connected sheets is used for a large amount of print job that is, for example, performed in a laboratory shop. From the viewpoint of yield in manufacturing a roll of continuously connected sheets, edge portions of respective sheets with fixing members such as a splicing tape (hereinafter, referred to as “tape”) are to be connected if the sheets are shorter than a required length.
In this case, the sheet roll of continuously connected sheets includes at least one splice portion (joint portion) that is connected by taping and provided at an arbitrary position. If a recording apparatus performs printing using a sheet roll having at least one splice portion that continuously connect two sheets, an image may be recorded at the splice portion. In other words, the recording apparatus may produce a defective image.
To solve the above-described situation, a conventional apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-239715 uses an optical sensor to detect a tape that is used to fix a splice portion, and identifies a position where the splice portion is present based on a detection signal of the optical sensor, and then controls a conveyance mechanism and a printing device so as not to perform printing at the splice portion.
However, according to the conventional apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-239715, an object to be detected by the optical sensor is limited to the splice portion itself. However, in a manufacturing process of a sheet roll of a plurality of sheets continuously connected at splice portions or in a state where a manufactured sheet roll is stored, a sheet portion that contacts a step height of a tape is subjected to the winding pressure applied to the sheet to form the roll. Therefore, the sheet surface is partly deformed into a thin indentation at the portion where the sheet contacts the step height of the tape. If the sheet roll of continuously connected sheets partly deformed into thin indentations is directly used for printing, a recording apparatus may print an image at a deformed sheet portion corresponding to the indentation. As a result, the recording apparatus may produce a printed product including a defective image. Therefore, a user is to visually check each printed product to discriminate between normal product and defective product.